In recent news, yet another store has had a data breach. Kmart is the most recent store to have issues with customers identities and it may leave you thinking “Is there anything I can do to protect myself?" In today’s credit driven world, most people are not going to just stop using credit cards and go to cash.

However, there are some steps you can take to protect your identity and your credit:

1. Stop using your debit card as a debit card – Sounds silly but it’s one of the easiest ways for thieves to steal your information and money. Your PIN is your personal identification number and no one else is supposed to have it. That means that getting your money back is more difficult when using a debit card because it’s harder to prove theft.

2. It’s not identity theft without a police report – Customers tell us that they have had identity theft all the time. However, it’s not identity theft without a police report because the bureaus want to validate that a crime took place. If your spouse’s sister stole your social security number and opened up credit cards, defaulted, and you will not file a police report, expect to pay that debt off one way or another.

3. Read your statements carefully – That includes your credit card bills and bank statements. Thieves are using small charges to test your credit card. If it goes through, they keep making charges. Checking your statements thoroughly will help to detect these charges so you can notify your credit card company as soon as possible. Since the holiday season is fast approaching, you will want to start doing this more frequently now. To read more about this kind of identity theft, click on the link below.

http://business.time.com/2012/04/30/mysterious-credit-card-charges-why-you-need-to-check-your-bills/

If you have any questions or feel this might have happened to you message or email me at michael@risingpointsolutions.com. Better yet, you can contact me directly at 727-835-8416.